McLaren P1 – Review, History, Prices And Specs - Evo

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Group tests

• The ultimate McLaren test: F1 GTR v P1 GTR v Senna GTR on road and track

Those wanting more track focus would wait for the P1 GTR, which was unveiled in 2014 and launched in 2015, to coincide with twenty years since McLaren’s victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours. The GTR was designed for track use alone (even if customer team Lanzante quickly adapted some for road use), and made more power (986bhp), shed 50kg, and through a combination of slick tyres and extra aero, had even higher cornering capabilities.

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Production of the P1 ended in December 2015, with 375 units produced since the first cars rolled out of McLaren Automotive in October 2013. The car was retroactively added to McLaren’s “Ultimate Series” in 2015, when the company’s brand strategy was split into Ultimate, Super and Sports series models, highlighting a quickly expanding range. It has since been joined in the Ultimate Series by the Senna, Elva, Speedtail, and the limited-production Solus GT, while the McLaren W1, announced in 2025, is the P1’s direct successor.

Engine, gearbox and technical highlights

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• McLaren's first hybrid
• 903bhp and 664lb ft
• 'Race Mode' drops, stiffens and transforms the P1's aero

The automotive world was already moving in the direction of electrification in 2010 when McLaren Automotive emerged, and while environmental credentials were perhaps not at the top of the list for a new performance car capable of scalping the Ferrari and Porsche also in development, it was clear that hybrid technology, just as it would in the LaFerrari and 918 Spyder, could contribute much to the car’s performance.

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That hybrid technology had recently been adopted in the World Endurance Championship (and with Audi, won at Le Mans in 2012) was no doubt a factor too, but the interesting aspect was how differently each manufacturer’s application of hybrid tech would end up. Where Ferrari chased simple assistance and Porsche went down the plug-in route with a usable electric range, the P1 had a short EV range (around six miles) but without the plug, predominantly using its 131kW motor for torque fill to help the engine at low revs while its twin turbos spooled up.

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